1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interval shootable camera, particularly to improvements made in such a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a variety of so called interval shootable cameras, which can take pictures at fixed intervals, have been proposed. However, these cameras have presented inconveniences as follows:
First conventional interval shootable cameras comprise an interval shooting timer which is not designed to stop- its operation when the shutter release on the camera body is operated during its operation.
Such a timer would be sufficient, if the photographer desired to continue photographing by using the timer after having released the shutter. If he did not desire to do so and failed to stop the timer, however, the interval timer would continue to operate for photographing, contrary to his intention.
Second, conventional timers for cameras are so designed that they will not start the operation if they are reset, that is, set to zero in interval time. Consequently, there would be no photographing operation, if the photographer who intended to take pictures by using the interval timer failed to set the interval time. Besides, cameras comprising an interval timer that can be set only in minutes cannot take pictures at intervals of less than one minute using the interval timer.
Third, conventional interval timers for cameras are designed so as to transmit release signals to their individual cameras each time when the preset times are counted up. For compact cameras equipped with an electronic flash device which can flash automatically in the dark, the interval timers would have to latch the release signals until the cameras have completed charging of the flash devices, before they released the shutters in dark environments of photography. These timers and cameras would encounter an inconvenience that the transfer of release signal is complicated between them.
Fourth, the interval timers in the interval shooting systems for conventional cameras are designed so that interval time setting is possible in hours, minutes and seconds. However, there have been a few situations where time setting in seconds was required to operate the interval shooting system. In addition, the switching and other operations are complicated for time setting.
Fifth, the interval timers for conventional cameras with backcover data imprinting devices are designed so that they can be set in interval time and start counting while the main switches on the camera bodies are set to OFF. However, the camera would not start shooting with its main switch set to OFF.
If the photographer failed to turn on the main switch of his camera and started the interval timer, he would find that his camera had taken no picture.
Sixth, if one display unit was used both as a data monitor unit and an interval timer setting display unit in a camera with a data imprinting device, the display would be switched to the data imprinting information when the interval timer was started to count the set interval time, while the timer operation was displayed, for example, with a small flashing dot at a corner of the-display screen. However, the timer operation could not be easily viewed at a glance with the small flashing dot.